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“WhatAStrangeWayToSaveTheWorld”Luke2:8-20

MessagebyMichaelJ.Barnard December27,2015LessonAim: Tounderstandthesignificanceoftheangel’svisittotheshepherdswatchingthetempleflock.Toseetherelationshipbetweenthesheepbeingpreparedforsacrificeandthebirthofthereal“LambofGod”. TounderstandGodgaveusthegreatestChristmas“Gift”everonthatfirstChristmasDay.

DIGGINGDEEPERINTOGOD’SWORD(BIBLESTUDY)PartI:Anunexpectednighttimemeetingwithanangel(Luke2:8-12)1. Using verse 8, many have tried to teach that the birth of Christ could not have happened in

December,why?DoweknowtheexactdateofthebirthofChrist?Iftheshepherdswerewatchingthe sheepbeingprepared for thedaily sacrifice at the temple,would theyhave the sheep in thefieldsonlyduringthewarmmonthsoftheyearorduringeverymonth?

2. Whatwasitthatstartledtheshepherdsinthedarknessofnight(vs.9)?Whatwas“thegloryofthe

Lord”andwhatdoyou think itmighthave looked like? Howdid thevisiblemanifestationof thegloryofGodandappearanceoftheangelaffecttheshepherds?Isfearacommonresponsewhenpeoplecomeintothepresenceoftheholy?Ifso,whydopeoplereactthisway?(SeeMatt.17:5-8;Luke1:12;29)Haveyoueverexperienced“thefearoftheLORD”inyourlife?Ifso,howdiditaffectyourbehavior?

3. Howdoestheangelrespondtothefearoftheshepherds(vs.10)?Whatmessagefortheagesdoes

thisunnamedangelbringtotheshepherds(vv.10-11)Accordingtoverse10,wasthispromisefortheJewsonlyorforeveryone?

4. Twodifferentcitiesarecalled“thecityofDavid”intheBible,whatarethey?Whichcityisreferredto

inverse11?WhatthreetitlesdidtheangelgivetotheBabyJesusinverse11?WhatcanwelearnaboutJesusfromeachtitle?

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5. Thesigngiveninverse12 isactuallytwofold,whatisit?Whatare“swaddlingcloths”andwhataretheyusedfor?Whatis“amanger”?WhywastheBabyJesuslayinginone?(SeeLuke1:7)WhatweretheJewsexpecting fromtheirMessiah? Accordingto Isaiah52:13-53:12,whatdidtheJewsmiss?

6. Whatcanwe learnaboutJesus’upcomingministry fromthehumblecircumstancessurroundingHis

birth?Whydoyouthinkthismessagewasgiventoshepherds?(SeeJohn10:1;1:29b)HowdidtheJewish religious leaders view shepherds during the days of Jesus? Where shepherds allowed totestifyinJewishcourts?Ifnot,why? WhodoesGodfirstreachoutto,theself-righteousreligiousleadersorthelowlyshepherds?

PartII:Heavenlyhostandthe“GloriainExcelsisDeo”(Luke2:13-14)1. Whatsuddenlyappearedto theshepherds thateveningalongsidewith“thegloryofGod” (vs.13)?

Whatisthemeaningoftheword,“host”?(SeeDictionary)Howdoesthistermrelatetotheangels?2. Althoughpeopletodayclaimtheangelsweresinging,doesScriptureindicatethis?Whatmessagedid

thearmyofangelsbringinverse14?Army’sareusuallyusedforwar,butwhatmessagedoesthisarmybring?(SeeMatt.25:31-33)

3. DidJesuscomeintotheworldtobring“peacetoallmen”,oronlytothosewhobygracethroughfaith

trustinHim(vs.14)?(SeeIsa.48:22;Matt.10:34-36)WhatkindofpeacedoesJesusoffer?(SeeRom.5:1,8-9)Whatistheonlywaywecanreceivethispeace?(SeeJohn3:16;Eph.2:8-9)

PartIII:TheshepherdsvisitthebabyJesusinBethlehem(Luke2:15-20)1. Whatdidtheshepherdsdoassoonastheheavenlyhostleft(vs.15)?Accordingtoverse15,didthey

believe themessage from the angel?Who should have been activelywaiting for theMessiah toarriveinBethlehem?(SeeMic.5:2;Matt.2:1-6)Whydidn’tthey?Doyouthinksomechurcheswillmisstherapture?Whyorwhynot?

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2. Whatcanwelearnabouttheexcitementoftheshepherdsfromverse16?AreyouexcitedtosharethegoodnewsofJesusChristwithothers? Whyorwhynot? Whenyougotochurch,doyougoexcitedlywiththeexpectationormeetingJesus,ordoyougobecauseyoufeellikeyouhaveto?

3. BethlehemwasasmalltowninthedaysofJesusandlikelyhadonlyoneinn.(See2:7)Doyouthink

theshepherdshadahard time finding theBaby Jesus,orwould ithavebeenprettyeasy to trackdown the newborn baby (vs. 16)? How did meeting Jesus change the lives of these “unclean”shepherds(vs.17)?HowhascomingtoChristchangedyourlife?

4. Shepherds were looked down upon by Jewish society and not even allowed to give testimony in

Jewishcourts. WhatgroupofpeopledidGodcall tobe the firsthumanevangelists following thebirth of Christ (vs. 17)? How are these lowly shepherds a picture of us today? (SeeRom. 3:10-12,23)

5. Accordingtoverse18,howmotivatedweretheshepherdstoshareChristwithothers?Howdidthe

peoplerespondtotheirmessage?DoyoushareChristfaithfullywithfamily,friendsandthepeopleyoucome intocontactwith? Ifnot,why? WhataresomestepsyoucantaketomoreeffectivelyshareJesuswithothers?

6. HowdidMaryrespondtohermeetingwiththeshepherdsandthenewstheybrought(vs.19)? Do

youponder thewondersofGodand thenew life that is availablebygrace through faith in JesusChrist?

7. Inwhatwayistheresponseoftheshepherds(vs.20)similartotheresponseoftheheavenlyhostin

verses13&14? Howistheresponsedifferent? DoyoupraiseandglorifyGodasyousharewithotherswhatGodhasdoneinyourlife?

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8. Why celebrate Christmas? WhatdoesthebirthofChristmeantoyoupersonally?(SeeIsa.7:14;9:6-7;Rom.3:21;5:1,8-9;10:9-11;John3:16)

9. HaveyoureceivedJesusChristasSaviorandLord?Ifnot,whynotreceivethegreatest“Gift”everby

repenting(changingdirection)fromyoursinandreceivingChristinprayerrightnow?MINER’SCORNER~Mannatoliveby!• Shepherdswereconsidered the lowlifesof Jewishsociety, theywere lookeddownuponasunclean,

unworthyeventotestifyinaJewishcourt.• It is significant that thebirthof“theLambOfGod”was firstannouncedto lowlyshepherdskeeping

watch over the sheep being prepared for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem; the lambswere apictureofwhatthebabyJesuswouldhavetodowhenHegrewup.

• Theangelbrought“goodnews”totheshepherdsthatinthecityofDavid(Bethlehem),aSaviorwhoisChristtheLordhadbeenborn.

• Upontheangel’sannouncement,aheavenlyhost(orarmy)appearedtoproclaimglorytoGodinthehighest(meaning,“glorytoGodinHeaven”).

• While the religious leaders of Israel should have been looking for theMessiah in Bethlehem, theyweren’t,itwasthelowlyshepherdswhosoughtandfoundHim.

• The greatest Christmas “Gift”ever is available to allwho receive JesusChrist as Savior and Lordbygracethroughfaith.(SeeJohn3:16;Eph.2:8-9)